Protecting EU Values and Fundamental Rights through Public Participation and Civil Society Assistance in Central Europe (PROTEUS)

ongoing

A strong and vibrant civil society is an essential prerequisite for pluralist liberal democracy and the enjoyment of fundamental rights, two key values of the European Union. However, this crucial role for a pluralist democracy has recently exposed civil society to attacks. Accelerating dynamics of democratic demise, social polarization and political illiberalism undermine the functioning and vitality of civil society across the EU, but especially in the Central European Member States of the Union. Amending laws and regulations to establish tougher control over civil society organizations (CSOs), curtailing their financial independence, intimidating civic activists, or portraying civil society as a public enemy has become the standard repertoire of non-democratic politics and actors. The result has been, for at least a decade now, the phenomenon of ‘shrinking space’ for civil society. To counter those negative trends, the Transatlantic Foundation (TF) and its consortium partners propose the below project titled ‘Protecting EU Values and Fundamental Rights through Public Participation and Civil Society Assistance in Central Europe’ (PROTEUS). PROTEUS covers the eight Central European project countries of Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia. The overall aim of TF and its eight National Implementation Partners (NIPs) is for PROTEUS to protect, promote and raise awareness to European values and fundamental rights – first and foremost democracy, the rule of law, human rights, the equality of men and women and the non-discrimination of persons belonging to minorities – and the fundamental rights of EU citizens as enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. The project will do so through providing targeted action grants and tailor-made capacity-building to local CSOs and increasing their fundraising, management and advocacy capacities with a strong focus on civic actors in peripheral and rural areas.